


a perfect pleasure

by we_are_the_same



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-28
Updated: 2012-10-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 05:39:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/548198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_the_same/pseuds/we_are_the_same
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn kind of has a thing for Liams mouth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a perfect pleasure

**Author's Note:**

> title from the Oscar Wilde quote -"a cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want?" - The Picture of Dorian Gray

Zayn kind of has a thing for Liams mouth. A certain aesthetic appreciation, if you will. Though when he made the mistake of telling Harry this, the younger boy started laughing, calling his bluff with a crude and nevertheless effective  _"aesthetic appreciation, my **ass** "_  which was soon followed by loud snickers and fist-thumps on the floor as he felt the need to clarify  _"or, **Liams**  ass"_. Zayn had rolled his eyes and grumbled how he needed more mature friends, though Harry did come with the added benefit of having a liquor cabinet that wasn't always as closed as his parents liked to believe it was.  
  
(Which was kind of why he had told him in the first place, alcohol having the ability to make everything seem like  _a really good idea_ )  
  
Either way, his appreciation of Liam Paynes mouth is purely from an artistic point of view. He likes to see him smile. See those little crinkles around his eyes that inevitably follow the slight lift of the corner of his lips, the way he sometimes bites his bottom lip to keep from showing too much teeth - which makes Zayn want to tug that lip free and tell him that he's got a great smile, but that would be even creepier than actually knowing these things that Zayn's sure Liam thinks no one notices.  
  
Maybe he shouldn't notice, but that's besides the point.  
  
Even when Liam isn't smiling, Zayn can't stop looking, though he's stopped himself at helpless little glances, little flashes of the mosaic of  _Liam Paynes Mouth._  He loves watching him purse those lips when he's working out a difficult math problem, will admit to perhaps even swooning a little when he absently moistens his lips with his tongue in Chem class.  
  
But Liam Payne, as much as Zayn looks at him, is hardly the definition of seductive. He doesn't even  _know_  he's doing any of it, and Zayn sincerely hopes that he isn't aware of the effect it has on him. Though if he did, Zayn is sure Liam would stutter out an apology because Liam is a  _Good Boy_.  
  
Zayn...is not. He is not a  _bad_  boy, but he is leather jackets and cigarettes on school grounds, sneaking into concerts and Harry's parents liquor cabinet. He's  _live while we're young_  whereas Liam is college applications and extra-curricular activities. Zayn is  _rebellious_  and Liam is  _innocent_  and if they've both got straight A's and more similarities than differences, no one wants to know.   
  
It doesn't bother Zayn, but sometimes it does, and when it does he complains loudly to Harry, who takes another swig of his beer, points at him with a cigarette that Zayn will snatch out of his hand if he is stupid enough to light it, and tells him that if he's so fed up with it all, why doesn't he go and corrupt Liam. And okay, maybe Zayn loves Harry for more than just his ability to supply alcohol.  
  
By morning, Zayn has a list that Harry called  _Zayns Nefarious Plans To Corrupt Liam Payne_. He also has a hangover and no memory of half the points that are on the list, but judging by the graphic doodles next to bullet points 7 to 12 he's not the one that noted them down in the first place.  
  
Some of them are kind of lame (like #2, getting Liam to lose his focus in class so he isn't the first one with his hand up in the air after a question's been asked), but when Zayn gets Liam to blush after he blows him a kiss during third period,  _and_  gets him to stammer out an answer when he licks his lips just a tad too slowly in English class, he's starting to believe that maybe this plan will actually work.  
  
(And if it doesn't, well, maybe he's kind of developing a thing for Liams blush now too)  
  
Two days in and Zayn is  _convinced_  the plan will work, because not only has he seen Liam looking at him, he's actually seen him duck out of view in the hallway, and while he'd rather the other would come towards him than steer clear, he's not missed the blush on Liams cheeks or the way he fidgeted with his hair.  
  
So, Zayn is pretty confident when he steps up to Liam at the end of their lunch break, maybe steps a bit too close just to see if he can get the taller boy to flush again (not close enough to feel the heat when he does, even if he wants to), and grins up at him through lashes that are unfairly long. He may flutter them a little and Liam may or may not make an aborted noise that Zayn can feel traveling all the way down his spine.  
  
"Hi" He says, and Liam sort of  _eep_ s, taking a step back that Zayn easily follows, a grin on his face that he hopes is charming more than it screams cat-who-just-got-the-cream. "What's up?"  
  
Liam actually glances around like Zayn hasn't half backed him into the lockers, like he could possibly be talking to someone else.  _"Hi"_  He stammers back, and Zayn sort of gets stuck on the way he bites his bottom lip when he finishes blurting out that one little word, indentations slowly fading.  
  
"Come with me?" He says, because skipping class is number 4 and getting Liam to smoke with him is number 5 (pot is number 6 and shotgunning number 7, and things get a lot less rebellious and a lot more intimate from there on down) and he might as well combine the two.   
  
 _"I - we - have class"_ Liam answers like that is actually supposed to mean something right now when Zayn is oh-so close to those slightly chapped lips. "So?" He shrugs, eyes flicking up, expecting to see amusement, maybe a hint of temptation, but Liam just looks serious.  _"We have **class** " _He repeats, stressing the word and frowning at him, and the bell punctuates his words, leaving Zayn to stare at his locker in confusion after Liam carefully sidesteps him. Zayn might not be the greatest planning-wise, but he's fairly sure it isn't supposed to go like this.  
  
*  
  
It doesn't stop him from trying again next day. And the next. And the day after that. Zayn spends all weekend trying to figure out where he went wrong, wondering if it's worth the trouble, wondering what it says about him that seeing Liam blush answers his previous question with a resounding  _yes_.  
  
Monday morning, Liam arrives looking wide awake whereas Zayn is bleary-eyed and yawning, bumming a cigarette off Harry despite his constant bitching that Haz is too young to smoke. Liam wanders past and mumbles something about the dangers of smoking and Zayn grins, catches up with him before his mind has consciously processed the impulse. He bumps his shoulder and says "Leeyum" like they're friends, then takes a slow drag from his cigarette, smirking inwardly when Liam can't keep himself from looking at the way it curls out of his mouth in tiny whispery clouds. "Don't knock it til you try it, mate" He says lamely, and Liam actually rolls his eyes at him. Zayn concedes that it's a stupid thing to say even before Liam answers that he " _doesn't need to try it to know that **smoking kills, Zayn**." _  
  
Zayn is a little stuck on how Liam feels comfortable enough to roll his eyes at him, and that he knows his name, and he doesn't come up with a clever comeback before Liam pats his shoulder, reminds him that they are due in Biology in five minutes, and leaves.  
  
That afternoon, he takes Liams hand and manages to make it all the way down to the front door before Liam digs his heels into the ground and forces him to stop.  _"What is it with you trying to make me skip class?"_ He asks, and he looks genuinely puzzled. Zayn stands there stupidly for a moment, too aware of the fact that their hands are still pressed together, that he could rub his knuckles with his thumb if he wanted to, and shrugs. "Dunno." He lies, lets go of Liams hand to rub at the back of his neck. "Just wanted to get to know you." And it's not the truth but it's not entirely a lie either.  
  
Liam smiles, pleased but shy, and Zayn considers taking his hand again, tugging him further along, and absolutely does  _not_  pout when Liam steps back and calls an amused  _"see you later Zayn."_ before moving back into the corridor. He doesn't scowl or stomp as he drops his bag onto his desk in Physics class five minutes later, and he definitely  _doesn't_ smile at the way Liam looks all delighted to see him.  
  
(Haz can't stop laughing when Zayn tells him, ribs him about his failure to corrupt Liam, says that maybe Liam is turning Zayn into a  _Good Boy_  instead, and Zayn has to hit him over the head with a book to get him to shut up)  
  
*  
  
Zayns mom drops him off at school on Tuesday, on her way to a meeting in town, which leaves him with twenty minutes to kill before the first bell. He's contemplating a nap when he sees Liam sitting on the bleachers and heads over to him instead. "Hey" He says, and this time Liam just nods and tells him  _"good morning"._ Zayn misses the blush but he does like that Liam hasn't run off, so he sits himself next to him and lights a cigarette, pokes his toe at his bag as he tries to come up with something to say. Liam beats him to it, asking him what he's doing here, and Zayn can't help grinning as he replies being in need of some fresh air. Eyebrow drawn up, Liam looks at the cigarette Zayn is holding loosely in his hand, murmurs a soft  _"I see that"_  that has Zayn chuckling as he brings the fag to his lips, inhales slow and deliberate, eyes sliding out of focus for a moment but coming back to Liam, who looks at him with equal parts disgust and fascination. He plays it up for the second drag, lets the smoke linger until it becomes unbearable, but it is so worth the slight burning feeling in his chest when he hears the others breath hitch.  
  
 _"Why do you do it?"_  Liam asks, and Zayn wonders if he's in for some public service announcement, a lecture on the health risks of smoking and peer pressure, but Liam just looks earnest and legitimately curious. "Smoke?" Zayn asks, like the way he's curling his lips around the cigarette isn't sinful on purpose, throat bared in a long, smooth line as he leans his head back to exhale the smoke.  _"Yeah"_ Liam mumbles, and Zayn is quick enough to catch the way he swallows,  _stares_ , making him think that maybe part of Liam Payne is tired of being the  _Good Boy_.  
  
 _It feels good_  doesn't seem like much of a reason, so Zayn gives himself a minute, takes gentle drags now, earlier urgency gone now that nicotine is swimming in his veins, and he wishes he could explain how that makes him feel. "You box, right?" He says, doesn't wait for the nod as he exhales the last bit of the toxic fumes, lips curled into a smile. "You know how it feels like you can't go on anymore? Like you're too tired, too wrung out to push any further, but then you _do_?" Liam seems confused as to what this has to do with smoking but he nods again, looking at him like words of wisdom are about to fall from lips that still taste like smoke. Zayn licks his bottom lip, looks at the lighter in his hand, flicks it once or twice until he can move his finger through the flame. "Afterwards, you feel so relaxed, so in place. Like there is nowhere else you'd rather be than in that moment, in your body. That's how smoking makes me feel."   
  
He doesn't look up to see whether that makes sense to Liam, just picks a cigarette from a half-empty pack, rolls it between his fingers before absently offering it to the other, his "want?" almost an afterthought as he expects the  _"no, thanks"_ that is Liams answer, though he doesn't expect the almost regretful tone in which it's said.  
  
Zayn is too late to see the way Liams eyes linger on his mouth before he gets to his feet, grabbing his bag and muttering that he'll see him in class. He doesn't, however, miss the way he glances back twice on his way into the school.  
  
*  
  
Liam isn't the type to frequent any of the parties that Zayn goes to on weekends, so he's surprised when he sees his familiar form on the porch steps when he ducks out for a smoke that Saturday night. He's equally surprised by the ease with which he plops himself down next to him, and the way Liam just quietly inhales in greeting. Zayn considers his list, wonders if tonight would be the night to get him drunk, but the sad expression on Liams face makes him discard that plan immediately, making him shift closer instead. "You okay?" He murmurs gently, fingertips brushing over Liams shoulder, the resulting shudder earning Liam a painful lurch of Zayns stomach.  
  
 _"You uh-"_ Liam brushes his sleeve past his eyes, curling his fingers into it when he brings his arm back down to rest around his knees. _"You remember what you said last week? About how smoking could make you feel like you're completely right with the world, no matter where you are?"_ Zayn idly thinks that Liams words are hitting the mark even more than his own, nods before he can think of the consequences, the quiet  _"Can I have one?"_ unexpected despite the fact that everything screams there's something wrong with Liam tonight.   
  
He surprises himself by saying "No", trips over his tongue when he says "Liam" like his name is supposed to mean something, supposed to make sense of the knot in his stomach. Liam just sniffs but doesn't protest, and Zayn wraps his arm around him and wishes that Liam could find what he's searching for in his arms rather than in burning lungs and bright embers. Just like Zayn has maybe found what he's looking for, not on a list of achievements, not in corrupting  _Good Boy Liam Payne_ , but in the way the corner of his mouth lifts when Zayn leans in to press nicotine-stained lips to his mouth, in the way Liam sighs and leans in to suck the taste off his tongue. 


End file.
